Chirping Tea
by death-in-the-orchard
Summary: During Abraham Van Hellsing's life: It is not a particularly happy time in the gray study. But color in the form of a duckling, and then the rest of the fledglings in Alucard's care, offer the human a form of relief. Similar to "Fledglings" - past story.


"Well, hello."

Hellsing blinked and then smiled warmly at the dear creature responsible for the overflow that now stained the white porcelain of his teacup and the saucer beneath, which had collected the displaced tea in a shallow, moat-like pool. Bobbing in the warm beverage, the duckling blinked back, shaking its feathered head and glistening beak. This movement created a new overflow of tea that spilled onto the saucer without creating a noticeable mess outside the close circumference. The aged man smiled with even more affection towards the bird.

He lowered himself into the seat behind his desk, viewing the duckling in his quiet study, an oasis of life amidst the desert of grayness shaded by well-kept records of deaths surrounding them. "What did you want? Hm? A little pond for yourself? Is that what you wanted, little one?" The kindly voice murmured softly to the bird as it floated contently in the cup. "A little pond of tea, no less. What other little duck has a pond like this? Maybe no other little duck in the world has a pond quite like yours. What a lucky duck you are." A chuckle came when the bird shook its tail feathers with delight, possibly taking some form of pleasure from the man's tone. The duckling peeped once or twice and then continued to float within its tiny pond.

Time went on with the man watching the little bird and listening to its social chirps, eventually placing his chin in his hand as his elbow rested on the desk. It did not move until a knock came at the door. Hellsing let his hands go to his lap and gave the visitor permission to enter. The butler crossed the study, prepared with a tray to take Van Hellsing's used dishes away, but his duties were postponed as he started, dumbfounded and gawking at the peculiar sight. Abraham smirked at the response from behind his desk, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair before gesturing to the teacup to gain the flustered man's attention.

"You left the door ajar when you brought my tea."

Oh, oh yes of course _I_ must be the cause of this, the butler nodded and then hesitated before nodding some more, still stunned by what he was seeing. He now held the metal tray against his chest, evaluating the situation while searching for something that would settle his nerves. Tense, the uniformed man cleared his throat, once, twice, and then murmured an apology without moving from his anchored position. Uncertain as to how he should proceed, he was reluctant to pick up the cup with the duckling still in it. There was a high probability of creating a mess... If the bird were to be startled, the man would be scrubbing tea stains out of Van Hellsing's rug for the next hour…and the prospect of being confined to this particular room was by no means appealing.

Abraham was watching the duckling again, ignoring his butler's inner turmoil. The duckling was too endearing. It was impossible to pay attention to anything else. A chortle reassured the butler who had been contemplating the possibility of some penalty being administered as a result of his negligence. At least it had only been the duckling, and not some more malicious creature. And…at least for the time being, Hellsing was not in sour spirits.

The butler swallowed and waited patiently for Abraham to remember him. When the blonde man showed no signs of tiring of the bird, the butler swallowed before clearing his throat to speak.

"Sir, shall I do something about the…duck, and fetch you a fresh cup of tea? This one has been spoilt because of my-"

A hand waved the offer away. "Leave it…but I would not mind some more tea. Thank you."

"Yes sir, right away. Excuse me." The butler departed swiftly and returned a short time later.

Soon, Van Hellsing was sipping at his tea while the duckling's webbed feet stirred its own drink, sending the overflow dribbling onto the saucer. Alone in the study, with his chest warmed by the tea, Hellsing waited for what he knew must come next. The human's prediction came true the instant his vampire entered the study, morphing from shadow to flesh and drifting to the mortal's desk. With keen eyes, Hellsing witnessed the demon's ruffled appearance, smiling when Alucard took several moments to stare mutely at the bird.

A human finger grazed the feathered head, drawing red eyes to their master before they flowed back down Hellsing's arm to reach the duckling.

"Is this how a man such as yourself enjoys his tea?"

Unable to reply with either a yes or a no, Abraham simply chuckled. A joke needed no other answer, despite the flatness of the tone that had delivered it.

They shared a space of silence before Alucard took the initiative, approaching the duckling that turned in a drifting motion and chirped at the demon as it would upon the return of its natural mother.

"It wandered away when I was sleeping. I have kept track of the others."

"Oh." Abraham was not surprised, but he gave this response, reclining in his chair and making use of his armrests to watch as a pale hand lifted the equally pale saucer with the stained cup balanced on top. The act of raising the saucer was graceful, perfectly controlled and without exhibiting any fear of the duckling suddenly deciding to climb out of the teacup. Blue eyes sought a pale face. The red orbs did not meet Hellsing's at first, but when they connected, the man found that there was nothing within the ruby irises that he could interpret.

"You may fill the bath and let the ducks bathe there. My bath…you know where it is?"

Alucard paused, expressionless though this generous proposal was unexpected. He nodded and then left through the door with a cupful of duckling, closing it quietly behind himself.

After a moment, Hellsing resumed his work with a list of familiar names, some dark lines passing through them, but then his nomadic thoughts broke away, envisioning his bath with a number of yellow and brown ducklings floating in the water…perhaps beside a bar of pink soap - his imagination added the colorful detail. A soft chuckle was inspired by the idea, but it gradually paled and fell as a heavy weight that died on the floor. The human pursued his responsibilities. But it was not long before the chair behind Abraham's desk was left empty while the grave study remained silent.

*~*~::..+..::~*~*

Splish, splash, in the bath, the little ducklings paddled about to and fro, oftentimes into one another as they nipped at their stubby wings, teasing each other about the pathetic limbs. Alucard was kneeling on the tile floor with his arms on the rim of the great bathtub, the air humid, thick with steam that clouded a nearby mirror. When the door opened, a noticeable draft rushed into the room. But the invasion was cut short when Abraham shut the door, preserving the remaining heat. Alucard glanced back at the crimson figure.

Shrugging off his coat, Abraham took it from his shoulders, hung it on a helpful hook, and then joined Alucard on the tiles, the red eyes having followed him during this time. A warm hand splashed at the water with a quick flutter that distracted the birds. Waves lifted and lowered the small feathered bodies, moving the sporadic chirps that rung in the enclosed air. Hellsing's fingers disturbed the water again, and this time a few inquisitive birds paddled towards his hand, cheeping loudly to themselves. This pleased Hellsing, suggested by his brightening grin, and the dripping hand patted one of the billed heads. The duckling tried to avoid him afterwards, but Abraham didn't seem to mind. The man continued to play with the amiable birds, his features colored by both the heat of the room and his cheerfulness.

White and neutral, the vampire's face was turned to the man, not hiding his discerning gaze. This went unnoticed by Hellsing, who was more interested in the birds than he was in his undead slave's behavior. The close proximity was not meant to be familiar or degrading on Abraham's part. The two possessed a shared interest with a shared location. Nothing beyond this could explain how it had come about that Abraham Van Hellsing was kneeling beside the former Count Dracula with the sides of their arms, living and dead, nearly touching.

Like the vampire's face, this space was neutral, but like Abraham's face, it was also pleasant - warm because of the bath, and noisy because of the splashing, peeping ducklings…and a chuckle from Van Hellsing's smile. Alucard stared at the distance between his arm and Hellsing's, watching the space thin and then grow with the human's activities.

Virtually oblivious, a duckling scratched at its bill with a webbed foot; so, as a seasoned hunter with acute senses sharpened to detect any sudden opportunity, Hellsing took the chance to stroke the bird's back. However, it promptly escaped his touch after the first pat. The next flurry of action came as a handful of ducklings decided to have a very sudden and brief race across the tub, sending droplets of water flying to dampen spots on Van Hellsing's white sleeve, one drop touching his vest as he smiled.

Various heads dipped into the water to snatch at imaginary fish, their young feathered heads full of dreams and fantastic adventures, mirrors of any human child's mind – where imagination unites them. One duckling, braver or hungrier than the rest, decided to see if Abraham's hand was edible. The nibbling beak presently chirped in disappointment and the bird swam off to complain to its siblings.

Amidst the splashing and high pitched chirps, it was a peaceful scene, filled with charming innocence that consoled a weary heart.


End file.
